Nebraska has landed another transfer as Shamiel Stevenson, a 6-foot-6 forward from Nevada, committed to the Huskers on Friday.
Thankful to be apart of the @HuskerHoops family 🙏🏾🔴 #FORTHEFAMILY#TMC pic.twitter.com/NBmKHTNl3u
— Shamiel Stevenson (@Sham_God0) May 10, 2019
Stevenson entered his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal in mid-April and visited Nebraska this week, committing to Fred Hoiberg before the end of his visit.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Stevenson spent his sophomore and junior seasons of high school at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He transferred to Hillcrest Prep in Arizona as a senior before committing to Pittsburgh and Coach Kevin Stallings.
As a freshman, Stevenson played 23.8 minutes per game with 13 starts, averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from 3 and 60.7 percent from the foul line.
Following an 8-24 season, Stallings was fired at Pittsburgh and replaced by Jeff Capel. Stevenson originally announced he was going to leave the program but ultimately stuck with the Panthers. However, he played a total of 32 minutes in four games with seven DNPs as a sophomore before announcing his intention to transfer. He committed to Nevada and sat out the second semester this season, but Nevada coach Eric Musselman left Reno to take the Arkansas job following the season.
Currently, Stevenson will not be eligible at Nebraska until after the end of the first semester in December. He could apply for a waiver for immediate eligibility, however.
Stevenson was listed at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds as a freshman at Pittsburgh, and his bio page at PittsburghPanthers.com says he has a 6-foot-11 wingspan and a 40-inch vertical. Nebraska lists him at 245 pounds.
“We are excited to add Shamiel to our program,” Hoiberg said in a release. “He brings a lot of versatility and physicality to our roster. With his size, strength and wingspan, Shamiel fits in perfectly in our system with his ability to play several positions. He also possesses the toughness and maturity needed to play in the Big Ten.”
Stevenson’s unique physical profile could allow him to the play the small forward through center positions for a Nebraska team currently lacking in size in the frontcourt. Not including Isaiah Roby, the heaviest player currently on the roster is Jervay Green, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound guard. Matej Kavas, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward, is the tallest player on the roster eligible to play next season. Dalano Banton, a 6-foot-8, 195-pound guard will sit out this season after transferring from Western Kentucky.
Stevenson’s addition leaves the Huskers with three open scholarships for 2019-20 pending Roby’s NBA Draft decision.
Jacob Padilla has been writing for Hail Varsity since 2015. He covers football, volleyball men’s basketball and prep sports. He also co-hosts the Nebraska Preps Postgame and Nebraska Shootaround podcasts for the Hurrdat Media and Hail Varsity podcast networks. His love of basketball can best be described as an obsession and if you need to find him, he’s probably in a gym somewhere watching, coaching or playing hoops.
